It's on like Donkey Kong!

Ok party people! Harvest is on! The boys started combining at our house yesterday. We got this new fancy schmancy yield monitor system & Brad has the esteemed honor of figuring out how to use it. I won't tell you how much it cost, but I will say it was this many dollars - $xxxx.xx. I'm not trying to brag, I just think ya'll need to understand how expensive farming is. To adequately know what you got going on in the fields, you gotta have good equipment. And this year since the yields should be good, we had to build the bin to have a place to store it!

Especially working at a tractor dealership, I hear ALL the time "Oh, you farmers have SO much money!" Uh-don't think so...The boys don't farm 'cuz it's making them millionaires. They farm because they've been doing it since they were little kids & they love it! I don't think people who AREN'T farmers know exactly how much money goes into a farming operation. I mean, sure-how many other 30-some year olds can say they own approximately 500 acres? But ya know what? We weren't handed that 500 acres. Farming makes the payments on our ground (and equipment and supplies...you get the drift...).

OK-enough of my rant...

When I got home yesterday he was working on calibrating the yield monitor. And I waited & waited (very unpatiently, I might add...) for the action to start!
This thing is super cool. See all the different colors? That's telling them what the yields are in every section of the field. The LONG line from top to bottom is our field from our house to the back of the field. It tells him on the screen what the instant yields, moisture & other stuff that I dunno what it is, instantly. Of course the numbers say zero here because I couldn't get a good pic while he was running...his head was in the way! :)

I know it's blurry, but this is "full on", "in your face" action. The stalks are being sucked into the machine to be annihilated!

Concentration is a must! Ya gotta watch all 8 rows to make sure nothing's getting plugged & no rocks get in the cornhead. Before I would take a pic, I would say "OK-don't get mad-I'm getting ready to take a pic!" :0

Unloading into the grain cart.

Disclaimer - from now until-uh, um-let's say Thanksgiving-Brad will not be available for parties, any social gatherings, meals, etc. However, I am more than willing to fly solo at events (unless I'm busy w/ a jewelry par-tay) so "invite" away. I'll be a 3rd wheel (just ask Matt & Carrie) or a 5th wheel (just ask the "other" McAfee's & the Lewises), whatever. I don't care. I'm a social butterfly & I just gotta fly! Ah-the life of a farmers wife. Good thing I'm not shy...